The present invention is an improved positive nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries, and a process for producing the same.
The use of nickel electrodes as the positive electrode in an alkaline storage battery, and particularly in those used as principal drive batteries for powering electrical vehicles, is known. There are several common methods for preparing suitable positive nickel electrodes. One such method is a chemical process, in which the electrode is formed through a repeated impregnation of a porous supporting grid formed of a conductor material, which preferably also contains nickel, with a solution containing nickel salts and a certain quantity of cobalt salt, followed by immersion in an alkaline medium for precipitating the hydroxides. Another common method is an electro-chemical preparation of positive nickel electrodes. The presently known methods, however, are relatively time-consuming and expensive. In addition, electrodes formed by these processes tend to have relatively low ampere-hour capacities. The electro-chemical method of preparation, furthermore, consumes a large amount of energy in its production.
Hence it would be desirable to provide a positive nickel electrode and a process for producing the same in which an electrode having a high ampere-hour capacity and a long service life can be produced more rapidly and without a large expenditure of energy.